Hospital-community partnership to implement community-based health improvement

Not-for-profit healthcare systems have a mission-driven obligation and federal mandate to address significant community health concerns through the Community Health Improvement Planning process. In this county, four hospitals, the county public health department and several community-based organizations collaborate to review data, prioritize needs, and identify evidence-based interventions every 3 years. Recently the partnership initiated a mini-grant process to fund community-based organizations that propose evidence-informed projects to address improvement goals. The mini-grant process funded three community-based projects in high-risk areas to address disparities in maternal and child health outcomes, including mental health. Results showed increased contraception education to adolescents, 45 new Mental Health First Aid providers for children and new families, and 176 refugee children screened for behavioral health concerns. By supporting community-based agencies to design, conduct and evaluate evidence-informed interventions, hospitals can build strong partnerships and trust among their patient community while improving health outcomes for those at greatest risk.